Written Answers

Monday 8 May 2000

Scottish Executive

Biodiversity

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received the report by the House of Lords Select Committee on European Communities Biodiversity in the European Union (Final Report): International Issues and, if so, whether it will outline any responses it intends to make regarding the report’s recommendations.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has received a copy of this report. Since biodiversity policy is a devolved matter to which the Scottish Executive is accountable to the Scottish Parliament, we will not be making any response to the House of Lords.

  We will, however, have regard to the views of the Select Committee in our continuing development of policy and programmes to ensure the protection and enhancement of Scotland’s biodiversity.

Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will uprate the level of net earnings referred to in Schedule 2 to the Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987 by a percentage increase equivalent to the annual rate of inflation as determined by the Retail Price Index, and whether it will do so on an annual basis.

Mr Jim Wallace: I am currently considering the need for a wide-ranging review of the diligence system as a whole. Any such review would include consideration of the periodic updating of the tables in Schedule 2 to the Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987.

Dental Care

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any proposals to reduce waiting times for treatment, particularly for oral medicine and anxiety/hypnosis treatment, at Glasgow Dental Hospital.

Susan Deacon: An action plan is already in place to address pressures on oral medicine. On 30 March, the Trust Board approved the appointment of an additional Consultant which should lead to considerable improvement in the waiting times for oral medicine over the next 12 months.

  Currently, one Dental Practitioner is operating two anxiety and hypnosis clinics per week. Once the additional Consultant is employed, it is hoped that this service will be expanded to five sessions per week.

  I understand from the Trust that there are also Dental and General Medical Practitioners trained in medical and dental hypnosis to whom patients can be referred.

Elections

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to conduct experiments in e-voting.

Angus Mackay: There is no provision under current electoral legislation to conduct experiments in electronic voting in local government elections. Pilots in electronic voting were held at local government elections in England on 4 May. We will study the results of those pilots carefully.

Elections

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons it has learned following the result of the recent Ayr by-election.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive did not contest the Ayr by-election and will continue the job it has been elected to do; working together to deliver the priorities of the people of Scotland.

First Minister

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the First Minister’s forthcoming absence, there are any of his powers and responsibilities which will not be assigned to the Deputy First Minister and, if so, which.

Donald Dewar: Most ministerial powers are conferred upon "the Scottish Ministers" and can be exercised by any member of the Scottish Executive. Any such powers which are at present, in practice, exercised by the First Minister will, during his absence, be exercised by the Deputy First Minister.

  The Deputy First Minister will also deputise for the First Minister in the carrying out of administrative functions, such as the chairing of the Cabinet. He will also answer oral questions selected for answer at the First Minister’s Question Time.

  Certain functions are, however, conferred upon the First Minister alone. These include the functions in relation to appointing other Scottish Ministers, functions relating to the appointments to the judiciary and the functions of advising Her Majesty and of recommending the making of Orders in Council. As the First Minister will continue to be able to act during his absence, these functions will continue to be exercised by him.

NHS Funding

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to detail, by health board, what NHSiS capital provision for equipment was allocated and spent for each year from 1994-95 to 1998-1999 inclusive, in real terms.

Susan Deacon: No specific allocation is given to individual health boards or NHS Trusts for the provision or replacement of medical equipment. Health boards and NHS Trusts must reach decisions on local priorities and then plan how to fund those priorities, including the provision of equipment. Trusts can use both capital and revenue resources to meet equipment costs.

  The capital expenditure on the provision of medical equipment for 1994-95 to 1998-99 is shown in the following table calculated at constant 1998-99 prices:

  


Health Boards
  

1994-95 Expenditure £000
  

1995-96 Expenditure £000
  

1996-97 Expenditure £000
  

1997-98 Expenditure £000
  

1998-99 Expenditure £000
  



Argyll & Clyde
  

5,893
  

3,439
  

1,541
  

1,209
  

1,671
  



Ayr & Arran
  

2,204
  

2,432
  

1,244
  

1,623
  

2,433
  



Borders
  

619
  

928
  

681
  

166
  

456
  



Dumfries & Galloway
  

1,401
  

709
  

1,533
  

491
  

579
  



Fife
  

1,356
  

1,868
  

877
  

788
  

951
  



Forth Valley
  

2,043
  

1,018
  

1,284
  

696
  

555
  



Grampian
  

4,069
  

4,462
  

5,439
  

1,346
  

4,161
  



Greater Glasgow
  

13,556
  

11,672
  

8,536
  

3,154
  

3,547
  



Highland
  

2,695
  

1,284
  

2,185
  

749
  

747
  



Lanarkshire
  

6,263
  

4,954
  

3,518
  

1,719
  

3,823
  



Lothian
  

8,054
  

6,102
  

2,832
  

3,412
  

2,559
  



Orkney
  

255
  

232
  

194
  

167
  

266
  



Shetland
  

493
  

13
  

25
  

127
  

53
  



Tayside
  

5,829
  

4,725
  

4,088
  

2,470
  

3,050
  



Western Isles
  

398
  

614
  

610
  

944
  

171
  



Total
  

55,129
  

44,453
  

34,588
  

19,061
  

25,022

NHS Funding

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why NHSiS capital expenditure fell from £102.201 million in 1994-95 to £25.022 million in 1998-99 and what impact this reduction had on modernising equipment, improving patient outcomes and reducing waiting lists.

Susan Deacon: Expenditure on medical equipment in 1994-95 was £48.895 million. The figure of £102.201 million in the Scottish Health Statistics 1999 publication was incorrect. I have written separately to the member to inform him of this.

  Capital investment in the NHS in Scotland has increased from £136 million in 1998-99 to £179 million in 2000-01, rising further to £194 million in 2001-02. These figures exclude any additional capital provision which may be allocated from the extra resources for health in Scotland following the Budget 2000 announcement.

  The following table sets out the capital provision and actual expenditure from 1994-95.

  Hospital and Community Health Service – Capital Expenditure (net)

  

 

Provision
£000
  

Capital Expenditure (Non-Equipment) £000
  

Capital Expenditure (Equipment) £000
  

Capital to Revenue Transfers* £000
  

Total
Capital Expenditure £000
  



1994-95
  

202,000
  

112,297
  

48,895
  

-
  

161,192
  



1995-96
  

202,000
  

165,877
  

40,565
  

14,066
  

220,508
  



1996-97
  

173,000
  

119,198
  

32,580
  

33,530
  

185,308
  



1997-98
  

136,000
  

76,185
  

18,454
  

38,963
  

133,602
  



1998-99
  

136,000
  

53,091
  

25,022
  

37,270
  

115,383
  



1999-2000**
  

156,000
  

113,043
  
 

40,679
  

153,722
  



   * Capital to revenue transfers are mainly made to meet the costs of minor projects and non-added value elements of schemes. In 1999-2000 nearly £7 million was also transferred to provide revenue support to assist NHS Trusts to meet their financial targets. Similar amounts were transferred in 1997-98 and 1998-99. From 2000-01 onward all capital, including capital receipts, must be spent on capital items.

  ** The 1999-2000 expenditure figures are unaudited and therefore there is no available split between equipment and on-equipment expenditure.

  In addition, a further £41.3 million will be invested over the next three years through the Capital Modernisation Programme, including £12.5 million to purchase linear accelerators.

NHS Funding

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what NHSiS capital provision will be allocated for equipment for each health board in 2000-01 and what steps it will take to ensure that this allocation is fully spent.

Susan Deacon: Capital resources are not specifically allocated to individual health boards or NHS Trusts for the provision or replacement of medical equipment.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail its plans to assist the implementation of RailTrack’s Network Management Strategy, any projects it proposes to assist and the level of funding to be provided.

Sarah Boyack: The project proposals outlined in Railtrack’s 2000 Network Management Statement for Scotland  will help inform the Scottish Executive’s consideration of the strategic priorities for the Scottish railway network. These priorities will underpin the directions and guidance that will be issued to the Strategic Rail Authority for the passenger services. The directions and guidance will not contain detailed prescription about infrastructure. It will be for the train operating company, in conjunction with Railtrack, to ensure the availability of the necessary infrastructure and rolling stock to meet the terms of the franchise.

  Individual projects may be eligible for support from public resources, for instance from the Public Transport Fund or the Railway Passenger Partnership Fund. These funds have already assisted a number of rail projects in Scotland.

Schools

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what formula is currently used by local authorities to calculate school capacities and what plans it has to review it in the light of educational and social changes in recent decades.

Peter Peacock: It is the responsibility of individual authorities to determine the capacities of their schools. In doing so, they will take account of a range of factors and of experience. The Accounts Commission, in their report Room for Learning – Managing Surplus Capacity in Schools published in September 1995 and the associated Management Guide published in January 1996, identified the range of factors which authorities take into account in assessing school capacity. They also noted that the formulae used by authorities varied, but that the outcomes were broadly similar across authorities. The Scottish Executive does not provide a formula for the purpose of calculating school capacity.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps or representations it intends to make, and to whom, to ensure a distinctive Scottish identification plate for motoring purposes.

Sarah Boyack: I refer Mr MacAskill to my answer of 20 January (S1W-3247).

Voluntary Sector

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the report commissioned from Eglinton Management Consultants in relation to its review of Councils of Voluntary Service cost; whether Eglinton Management Consultants sought any information from Councils of Voluntary Service whilst compiling this report and whether the report by Eglinton Management Consultants took into account rurality or sparsity of population in its recommendations as to funding models.

Jackie Baillie: The cost of the report on the review of Councils of Voluntary Service produced by Eglinton Management Consultants is unable to be disclosed for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

  Eglinton sought information for its report from a variety of sources. This included consulting 12 Councils of Voluntary Service and a range of other organisations directly connected with the voluntary sector including the Community and Voluntary Organisations Council, Voluntary Action Highlands & Islands, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Volunteer Development Scotland, and CVS Scotland.

  The report identified three models of funding:

  - matching funding, involving equal contributions from the Scottish Executive and local authorities;

  - funding entirely by the local authorities; and

  - shared funding, aligned around community planning boundaries, that would involve the Scottish Executive, local authorities and other key agencies.

  As additional work, at no extra cost, Eglinton considered four possible funding models, two of which took into account rurality and sparsity of population.

  These options and others are currently being considered by the Scottish Executive and an announcement as to the way forward will be made shortly.